Machine for striping electric conductors



April 15, 1952 R A, DQNNAN 2,592,667

MACHINE FOR STRIPING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed April 29, 1949 s Sheets-Sheet 1 0g I ,(W M

. so 1r SOSRSQHI so se l m FIG. l6

IN VENTDR ROBERT A. DONNAN ATTORNEY April 15, 1952 R. A. DONNAN MACHINE FOR STRIPING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Filed April 29, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 WVENTGR ROBERT A. DONNAN ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 MACHINE FOR- STRIPING ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS Robert A. Donnan, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Surprenant Mfg. (30., Boston, Mass.

Application April 29, 1949, Serial No. 90,392

16 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for producing distinctive markings, such as variously colored helical stripes, on electric conductors and the like, and it is the general object of the invention to provide a machine of this type which will operate with stationary sources or supplies of ink or other striping fluid.

In a striping machine which has already been proposed, striping disks engage and are rotated by the wire or conductor to be striped as it moves along the axis of the machine. The disks are mounted on a rotating unit containing an ink Well and an inking pocket for each disk. As the unit turns the ink rises from the wells by centrifugal force into the pockets to ink the disks as the latter revolve around the wire. The striping capacity of that machine is limited by the amount of ink the Wells can hold, and when long wires are being striped it is necessary to stop and open the machine from time to time to replenish the ink supply. Furthermore, it is found that the pigments used in certain inks tend to separate by centrifuging and cling to the sides of the wells and the inking pockets or chambers in which the disks rotate. Such a striping machine is shown in Patent No. 2,537,884 issued January 9, 1951, and copending application Serial No. 82,732, filed March 22, 1949.

It is an important object of the present invention to construct the striping unit of such a machine so that the pockets can be supplied with ink from stationary ink reservoirs exterior to the unit while the latter is in operation. The ink in the pockets is thus replenished and the machine is able to run continuously to stripe wires of any desired length.

It is a further object of the invention to cause ink to flow through the rotating unit to reduce or prevent centrifuging of the pigment of the ink. When this feature of the invention is used discharge outlets are provided to enable the ink to flow out of the rotating unit in such manner as to avoid flooding of the ink pockets.

It is a still further object of the invention to locate the outlet from each pocket in such position as to maintain the desired depth of ink in the pocket and thereby insure proper inking of the periphery of the striping disk. 7

It is anotherobject of the invention to provide the striping unit with a plurality of ink receiver compartments into which ink flows from corresponding reservoirs and connect each compartment to an ink pocket, each pocket thereby receiving ink from its reservoir through its compartment. A stationary delivery tube for each 2 reservoir extends into the associated compartment to deposit ink in the latter as the receiver rotates with the stripin unit.

It is still another object of the invention to collect the ink discharged from the striping unit and return it to the source, thereby keeping the ink in continual motion to prevent settling or objectionable centrifuging of the pigment.

When the ink to be changed in any of the pockets a cleaning fluid or ink solvent can be run through the corresponding receiver, pocket and passages and discharged from the machine into the associated collector. The cleaning fluid enters the pocket in a direction generally tangen tial to the disk and turns the latter to expose all of its periphery to cleaning action. At such times there will ordinarily be no wire in the machine and the disk will be free to turn.

It is another object of the invention to provide each reservoir with a control valve to regulate the amount of ink flowing to the corresponding pocket, therefore wide and narrow disks using difierent amounts of ink can be employed in different pockets and an amount of ink correct for each disk can be supplied to its pocket.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a striping machine wherein several striping patterns can be produced on successive sections of a single wire without stopping the machine.

The wire being striped may be of large or small diameter, and the lay of the spiral stripes may be long or short. These varying conditions require corresponding changes in the angle of the disks relative to the Wire.

It is a further object of the invention to provide for changing the angle of the disks by a ring gear rotatable on the unit and meshing with pinions connected to carriers on which the: disks rotate. By rotating the gear on the unit the carriers and therefore the axes of the disks can be turned to change the ang1e of the planes of the disks to suit various conditions of wire size and lay of the stripe.

Wires of different sizes require that the disks be at different distances from the axis of the machine, and it is a still further object of the invention to provide a second ring gear and pinions therefor to move the carriers and disks in a radial. direction to adapt the disks to wires of diiierent sizes. Suitable clamping means are provided to keep each of the rin gears in their adjusted. positions.

More specific objects of the invention are to provide an improved striping unit comprising similar ink pocket forming blocks, and an ink a motor M is mounted.

3 receiver means built up of a plurality of similar members forming the aforesaid compartments.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate by way of example the embodiments of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a striping machine made according to the present invention,

'Fig. 2 is a plan View looking in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 33, Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section on line i-4,Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 55, Fig. 4, omitting certain of the structure,

Figs. 6 and 7 are enlarged horizontal sections on lines 6-5 and il', respectively, of Fig. 4., parts being broken away in each figure,

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail vertical sections on lines 83 and 99, respectively, Fig. 6,

' Fig. 10 is a vertical section on line ill-50, Fig. 9, V

Fig. 11 is a detail vertical section on line H|i, Fig. 6,

Fig. 12 shows an electric conductor of a type which can be striped on the machine,

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detail vertical section on line l3i3, Fig. 2, V

Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary section similar to part of Fig. 4,

Fig. 15 is a diagram showing the relation of the ink in one of the pockets and the associated compartment when the machine is in operation, and

Fig. 16 shows a wire diagrammatically with Striping mechanism r The striping unit U is shown more particularly in Figs. 4 and 6-8. A hollow vertical bearing column has a horizontal flange 25 at its upper end bolted as at 21 to the table II). Within the column is a hollow shaft 28 rotatable about a vertical axis on ball bearings 29 on the column. The lowerend of shaft'28 has the pulley I4 keyed thereto as at 3B and held in position by a support nut 3i threaded to the lower end of the shaft. Shaft 28 has a bore 32 through which the wire W moves upwardly and into the upper end of which is screw threaded a guide plug r 33 for the wire.

four different striping patterns such as can be produced while the machine is in continuous operation.

The machine to be described hereinafter has for its general purpose the striping of electric conductors or wires an example of which is shown in Fig. 12; In order that the wire W may be readily identified it is provided with helical marking stripes which may be either of the same or diverse colors. In Fig. 12 three stripes Si S2, and 83 are shown, but the machine can produce one, two, three or four stripes each of a different color, or in various combinations, and the stripes can be either wide or narrow. The various parts of the machine for striping such a wire forming the subject matter of the present invention will now be described.

Frame and driving mechanism Referring particularly to Fig. l, the frame of the machine includes a table iii supported in horizontal position by legs ii at least one of which supports a bracket if on which a driving By a belt It the motor drives a pulley Hi secured to the striping unit U to be, described in detail hereinafter.

The electric conductor wire to be striped, designated at W, is wound on a reel i5 rotatable on a stand i5, and is led around a guide sheave I! and then up along the axis of unit U. After being striped the wire continues upwardly through a drying or heating chamber H and then extends variable.

A platform is is mounted on the upper ends Although ball bearings 29 have been shown in Fig. 4 the machine is not limited to this form of bearing, but whatever type of bearing is used it should be able to support the hollow shaft so that there will belittle or no. vertical play or longitudinal motion of the shaft.

The upper part of the hollow shaft is formed with an integral horizontal flange 35. Resting on the flange is a pocket forming block 36 above which is' a similar block 31. These blocks are circular as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and are formed with communicating cavities which provide inking pockets. The flange and blocks may be considered as forming a head A, see Figs. 1 and 4, for the striping unit.

Block 36 has four cavities 38, 39, 49, and 4| all connecting with a central opening 42, see Fig. l, which extends vertically through the block. The lower surface of each of the cavities 38-4l curves downwardly and toward the machine axis as at 53, see Fig. 4, and each cavity is offset from a radius parallel to the sides 44 thereof. Thus, in Fig. 'Zcavity 38 is offset to the right while cavity 26 is offset to the left, and the other two cavities are similarly oifset.

The upper block 31 is formed with cavities 45, it, 41 and 48 similar to the cavities in block 36, but ofiset in the opposite direction. The upper part of each cavity i8is curved as at 49, see

Fig. 4. Block 36 has a flat top surface 50 which fits closely against the flat bottom surface 5| of the upper block 31. Screws 52 passing down through the upper and lower blocks 31 and 38 are tapped into the flange 35 and hold the blocks fixed to the hollow shaft 28, see Fig. 11.

As indicated in Fig. 8 a lower cavity is offset from its corresponding upper cavity in such a way as to form a chamber which extends generally in a direction diagonal or oblique with respect to the machine axis. These chambers, indicated at 55, 56, 57, and 58 in Fig. 6, having their outer ends remote from the machine axis formed as inking pockets 59, 69, BI and 62. a

Each chamber-has located therein a striping disk the function of which is to produce a stripe on the wire passing through the machine, or at least give it lateral support .to hold the wire on the machine axis. The four disks 65, 65, 61, and 68 are arranged as shown in Fig. 6 with the inner parts of their peripheries located near the axis of the machine at an inking station S and with the outer parts of their peripheries in their respective inking pockets. 7 7

Each disk is rotatably mounted on a carrier 10 having a forked inner end supporting two ball bearings 1| and 12 through which extends apin 13 on which the associated disk is mounted. The disks are thus rotatably mounted on their carriers so that any point on a disk periphery can turn through the inking station s and the corresponding inking pocket.

The carriers are each formed with a shank 15 which fits snugly into a bearing 16 formed partly in each of the blocks 33 and 31. Each shank is rotatable and also slidable longitudinally in its bearing and is controlled as to angular and longitudinal position by mechanism to be described.

Stationary ink supplies or reservoirs The inking pockets are supplied with striping ink from stationary tanks or reservoirs which are mounted on the platform I9 in such manner that, if desired, they can be replaced with other tanks holding differently colored inks. In Figs. 1 and 2 ink tanks are shown at 80, 8|, 82, and 83. Each tank is positioned between end bars or cleats 84 secured to the platform and is limited in outward motion from the machine axis by a stop bar 85 also secured to the platform.

A lock is provided for each ink tank or reservoir to hold it in fixed position on the platform, see Fig. 13. A small stand 86 secured at B1 to the platform has a' lock 88 pivoted thereto at 89. The lock will normally be down to hold the assoelated tank against stop bar 85. When it is desired to remove the tank the lock will be raised and the tank slid along the platform toward hole 22 a short distance and then lifted off the platform. 1

Leading from the bottom of each tank is a delivery or feed tube or pipe having a control valve 90 therein by which ink flow can be varied as torate, or stopped. The feed pipes are shown at 9I, 92, 93, and 94 and extend from their respective tanks toward the axis of the striping unit andthen down through hole 22.

As shown herein the ink tanks are above unit U, and ink flows toward the latter by gravity, but

the invention is not limited to gravity feed of the ink, and it will be sufiicient for the purposes of.the invention if conditions exist wherein ink tends to flow in the feed pipes 9I94 toward the receiver mechanism now to be described when the valves 90 are open.

Ink receiver mechanism As shown in Fig. 4 there is mounted on top of the striping unit a means for receiving ink from the tanks and conveying it into the inking pockets.

The receiver means, designated at R, is built up' of several similar ring like members 95, 96, 91, 98, and 99 arranged one. over the other and concentric with the axis of the striping unit. Bottom member 99 has a circular flange I held firmly to the top block 31 by screws I0 I. The previously described screws 52 also pass through flange I00.

Each receiver member has an outer vertical circular wall I through which extend vertically four bores I06, I01, I08, and I09. Extending inwardly and upwardly from the wall I05 is an inclined floor H0. The members are each provided with flat tops III and bottoms II2, respectively, which are held in close fit by bolts II3 passing through holes I I4 in all the members and secured into the top block 31. The bores I05--I 09 are equally spaced angularly around the wall I05,

a'nj'dthe holes II4 are likewise equally spaced but.

are located midway between the bores, see Fig. 5.

The floors III) are arranged to form four ink compartments which are shown at II5, H6, H1, and H8. Each compartment communicates by a single inlet passage II9 with but a single bore in the associated wall I05. The elements --99 are assembled with their inlet passage in angularly staggered relation and with the bores in walls I05 vertically aligned in groups to form four vertical ink ducts. Each of the four ducts thus formed communicates with but one compartment. Thus, in Fig. 4 compartment II1 connects with the duct I20 shown at the left, and compartment II8 connects with the duct I2I shown at the right. In Fig. 5 compartment II5 is shown as connecting with duct I 22. Similarly, compartment II6 connects with a duct I23 shown at the bottom of Fig. 5. For a further understanding of the ducts, it may be stated that each duct is formed by five bores the top and bottom ones of which will be repeats of either bore I00, I01, I08, or I09, and the other three of which will be one each of the remaining bores.

The upper part of block 31 has an ink passage I24 for each duct, connecting the latter with the corresponding inking pocket, see upper part of Fig. 4. Each ink compartment is therefore connected to but one pocket. The receiver members are all tightly bolted together and there is little or no leakage between the several compartments and ducts. The top of each duct is closed by a plug I25.

The previously described feeder pipes or tubes 9I94 have their ends bent outwardly to enter one or another of the ink compartments, one tube 1 for each compartment. The compartments open toward the machine axis, as is apparent in Fig. 4, and are of such height as to be able to receive the ends of the tubes. Each tube is bent as at I25 in a direction away from the axis and overhangs the floor III] under it. Ink flowing or dripping from the mouth I21 of any tube will enter its compartment and pass downwardly by gravity through the associated inlet passage and duct into the corresponding inking pocket. The openings in the compartments to receive the feeder tubes are indicated at I28, see Fig. 14.

Ink discharge and collector An important feature of the invention resides in maintaining streams of ink flowing through the striping unit, and in order to accomplish this result provision is made for the escape or discharge and collection of ink from the bottoms of the pockets, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

An ink collector C secured to the table I0 as at I30, is formed with upwardly opening collector troughs, four being shown herein at I3I, I32, I33, and I34. These troughs are all concentric with the axis of the machine and located at different distances therefrom. There are four discharge tubes I35, I36, I31, and I38, one for each trough and the associated ink pocket, leading from the latter in a direction away from the machine axis, to the corresponding trough.

The flange 35 of the hollow shaft has a hole or discharge passage I40 therein for each discharge tube and pocket extending preferably radially outwardly from the axis of unit U. Each .hole

I40 is below its pocket but connects with the latter at its inner end, as at I4I. Each hole I40 has tapped into its outer end a plug I42 which fits closely around its discharge tube. The outer end I43 of the plug is tapered and screw threaded to receive a clamp nut I44 which when tightened inclineddownwardly and outwardly. 7

Return of discharged ink to reservoir The pigments of some inks have a tendency to collect on the outer walls of the inking pockets due to centrifuging action as the striping unit rotates, and when such-inks are used, it is desirable to keep them moving through the pockets to re -duce to a minimum the pigment deposition by centrifuging. The discharged ink can be handled either manually or'alutomatically, but in either method the troughs will be provided with drain pipes shown at |50-I 53, Figs. 1 and 4.

When the ink return is automatic the drain pipes will each lead'to a pump l55 shown at the bottom of Fig. 1. From each pump a return pipe leads to the corresponding tank or reservoir. These return pipes are shown at 156-459, Figs. 1 and 2. The pumps are driven by a separate motor MP and a driving belt arrangement shown at I00. When the pigment of the inks used show little tendency to centrifuge the feed from the tanks to the pockets can be adjusted to compensate for the rate at which ink is used in the striping-operationand in that event the pumps and motor MP will not be needed. If it is necessar to maintain a'fiow of ink through the machine but the pumps are not desired, thedrain pipes can lead to catch basins or the like (not shown) from which the discharged ink can be returned manually from time to time to the appropriate tanks; r

Operation It is believed that the operation of the machine will be apparent from the foregoing description. The wire W from reel 15 will be inserted upwardly through guide'33, the inking station, and drying chamber, and then to the take-up which will draw the wire along the axis of the machine when the latter operates. The striping disks will be in peripheral driving engagement with the Wire at the inking station to be rotated by the wire as it moves. The reservoirs will previously have been supplied with the correctly colored inks for the production of the desired color combination of stripes and, the valves 90 will be opened, after ink will soon accumulate in the pockets to a sufficient depth to ink the peripheries of the disks,

whereupon the striping operationwill begin.

The operator of the machine will be. able to tell by observing the amount of ink in--the collector troughs whether adjustments of the valves 90 is necessary. If an ink is being used the pig- 7 ment of which shows little tendency to centrifuge the corresponding valve can be, adjusted to admit just enough ink to compensate for that used by the corresponding disk. A disk having a wide periphery will use ink at a relatively fast rate, and its valve can .be adjusted to. admitink .to

the associated pocket at arelativel'y' fastrate. Conversely; if adiskhas a narrow rim the feed .of-ink to its pocket will be at a slower rate.

pockets will be empty, due either to closure of the associated valve or valves, 90, or removal of the corresponding tank.- I r 7 Fig. 15 shows diagrammatically the relation between the level or wall of ink in a pocket and its associated ink passages and ink compartment. When the unit is rotating centrifugal force will cause the inkto move as far from the axis of rotation as it can, and the level or wallof ink which Will bealmost vertical, as indicated by line L; The position of the lower endof line L is determined by the mouth I4! of discharge passage M0. The upper end of the line passes to the left of the feeder tube, the mouth 12! of the latter being between the axis of unit U and the ink level. The ink in the compartment cannot therefore interfere with flow of the'ink from the feeder tube, and ink will flow out of the discharged pipe before it can overflow the compartment. 7

Variation in stripingpattem The fact that the valves are independently controllable makes possible thevproduction of several striping patterns on a single. piece of wire during continuous operation of the machine.

Thus, in Fig. 16 four sections I, II, III, and IV show different patterns. It might be desired, for instance, toproduce 2000 ft. of wire having a single orange stripe SO, section I, Fig. 16; 2 000 ft; with orange and red stripes SO and SR, section II; 2000 ft. with orange, red and green stripes SO, SR and SG, section'III; and 2000 ft. with these three colors of stripes combinedwith a blue stripe, as at SO, SR, SG and SB, section IV.

To produce such a pattern the tanks are provided with these variously colored inks, and all the valves closed except that for the tank having the orange ink. After the first 2000 ft. had been striped with a single stripe of orange, and while the machine continues to operate, the valve for the red ink tank will be opened to stripe the next 2000 ft. with both orange and red. In turn, the valves of the tanks having green and blue inks are then opened. There would thus be produced without stopping the machine asingle piece of wire having four different striping patterns.

Angular and radial adjustment of disks The machine set forth herein is provided with controls which adapt it for producing stripes of different lays on wires of various diameters. V The lay is the length measured along the wire corresponding to a complete turn or convolution of a stripe. If the lay is long the angle which the stripe makes with the axis of the wire will be less than with a shorter lay, the wire diameter remaining the same. With a given lay on the otherhand, the angle will increase with increases in the diameters of wires being striped. For any given lay and wire diameter the angle 'Will'be determined, and the disks should be set to correspond at least approximately to this angle.".='Ih.e means for'attaining this result are set forth in Fi s l, 6, 9, 10,11. 5

Each disk carrier shank 15 projects outwardly from'the striping unit and has. a'bevel. pinion I 65 connected thereto by a key I66 slidable in a key slot I61. An adjusting member in the form of a ring bevel gear I68 surrounds the striping unit and meshes with the pinions. Adjustable eccentric collars I69 are mounted on and held inadjusted angular position by screws I tapped into unit member 36. The eccentric collars enable the ring gear to be set into close mesh with the pinions. Clamps I1I engaging the ring gear are held against it by screws I12 tapped into member 36 to hold the gear in fixed angularly adjusted position on the unit. The correct angle for the planes of the peripheries of the disks will be known for any particular lay and wire diameter and ring gear IE8 can be turned to set the disks at this angle, after which the clamps will be tightened to hold the angular setting of the disks.

The radial adjustment of th disks to accommodate wires of difierent diameters is effected by another set of pinions and another ring gear. The unit U has secured thereto a bearing I15 for each shank 15. This bearing is held to the unit by screws I16 and has an end or cross bar I11 provided with a bearing I18 for the shank. The latter is screw threaded at I19 to fit threads I80 cut internally on a pinion I8! which fitsbetween the unit U and pinion I65. These two pinions fill the space between unit U and the cross bar I11, and the part of the shank extending beyond the cross bar is surrounded by a compression spring I82 which exerts an outward force on a nut I83 on the shank.

An adjustor formed as a second ring bevel gear I85 meshes with the pinions IBI which serve as positioning means for the carriers. Gear I85 is positioned by eccentric collars I86 similar to collars I 69 and is clamped in angularly adjusted position on unit U by clamps I81 similar to clamps I1I. Pinions I8I are held against motion in the direction of the length of the shank, by the cross'bars I11 and pinions I65, and as ring gear I85 is turned relatively to the unit U the pinions turn and because of their screw thread relation with the shanks, cause the latter to move either inwardly or outwardly with respect to the axis of unit U, depending upon the direction of relative turning of adjustor gear I85 with respect to the unit. The disks are thus movable to difierent distances from the machine axis to have striping relation with wires of difierent diameters.

The two ring bevel gears and their pinions and associated parts are thus seen to provide simple means by which the disks can be adjusted angularly and radially for the striping of wires of various diameters with stripes of various lays. In efiecting the adjustments it is desirable first to adjust the angles of the disks and clamp ring gear I68. The keys I 66 will then prevent the shanks 15 from turning when the radial adjustment is made.

Summary From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides means by which a rotating striping unit can be supplied with striping ink from stationary tanks, supplies or reservoirs exterior to the unit. Ink may be regulated to flow into the pockets in sufficient amount to compensate for the ink used by the disks, or the ink can be caused to flow through the unit in streams which prevents centrifuging oi the pigment of the inks to any objectionable degree. The compartments, ducts, passages I24, pockets and dischargetubes constitute ink pathways through unit U. When ink is controlled to flow through the unit the discharge keeps pace with the inflow and ink is kept at a uniform depth in the pockets to insure even inking oi the peripheries of the disks. The receiver means R comprises several similar elements which are stacked one over the other to provide a cage he set of receivers having ink compartments opening preferably toward the machine axis and receiving ink from their respective tanks to be passed on to the associated pockets. The collector troughs receive the discharged ink, and where desired, pumps return the discharged ink to the tanks. The valves 9% permit independent control, enabling one pocket to be supplied with ink at a fast rate to correspond to a rapid rate of use of ink by a broad rimmed disk, while enabling another pocket with a narrow rimmed disk to receive ink at a slower rate. Also, by opening the valves progressively several striping patterns can be produced on one piece of wire during continuous op-v eration of the machine. The ring gears and their pinions constitute positioning means which permit the disks to be adjusted angularly and radially to accommodate various conditions of lay of the stripe and wire diameter. When a difierently colored ink is to be used in any pocket it can be flushed with a cleaning fluid introduced into the associated compartment; The inlet passages I24 are so disposed that the cleaner is directed tangentially against the disk which will be free to turn and be cleaned, since wire will not ordinarily be in the machine at this time.

Having described one form of the invention, it will be apparent that variations can be made in the various parts of the machine described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a wire striping machine provided with means for moving a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit mounted on the machine to rotate about said axis, driving means to rotate the unit around said axis, said unit comprising an inking pocket therein spaced from said axis, a striping disk mounted on the unit for rotation with respect thereto and revolved by the unit around said axis when the unit rotates with a part of the periphery of said disk; adjacent to said axis for engagement with the Wire to be rotated by the latter as the wire moves along the axis and with another part of said disk extending into said pocket, a stationary striping ink reservoir, an ink receiver fixed to the unit communicating with the pocket, and feed means to deliver ink from the reservoir to the receiver, ink in the reservoir passing through said feed means into the receiver and thence into the pocket to replenish the ink supply in the pocket, said driving means when rotating the unit causing ink to be held in the pocket spaced from said axis by centrifugal force to be taken up by the disk to produce a spiral stripe on the wire as the latter moves along said axis and the unit is rotated by said driving means.

2. In a wire striping machine operating with a stationary striping ink reservoir and provided with means for moving a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit rotatable on the machine about said axis, driving means to rotate the unit about said axis, an ink receiver fixed to said unit and comprising an ink compartment therein, feed means to deliver ink from the reservoir into said compartment, said unit 76 comprising an inking pocket therein spaced from said axis below and communicating with said compartment into which ink can flow by gravity from the receiver, and a striping disk mounted for rotation on the unit and revolution thereby around said axis with a part of. the periphery thereof in rolling engagement with the wire to be rotated by the latter as the Wire moves along the axis and with another part of the periphery thereof extending into said pocket to be inked, ink being held in the pocket by centrifugal force as the unit rotates to be taken up by the disk to produce a spiral Stripe on the moving wire as the latter rotates the disk and the disk is revolved around the wire by said unit.

3. In a wire striping machine provided with means for moving a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a stationary striping ink reservoir, a stationary collector for ink, a rotatable striping unit intermediate the reservoir and collector comprising an inking pocket therein spaced from said axis, driving means to rotate the unit about said axis, a hollow ink'receiver secured to and rotating with the unit with the interior thereof communicating with said inking pocket, the unit being provided with an outlet passage leading from the pocket away from said axis to the collector, and a wire striping disk mounted for rotation on the unit and revolved around said axis by" the unit when the latter is rotating with a part of the periphery of said disk in rolling engagement with the wire to be rotated by the wire as the latter moves along said axis and with another part of the periphery of said disk extending into said pocket, ink in the pocket being held spaced from said axis due to centrifugal force when the driving means rotates the unit and being taken up by the disk to produce a spiral stripe on the moving Wire as the latter rotates the disk and the disk is revolved around the wire by said unit.

4. 'A striping machine as set forth in claim 3, wherein means are provided to return ink from the collector to the reservoir, said return means including a pump, a drain pipe connecting the collector to'the pump, and a return pipe to deliver ink from the pump to the reservoir.

5. In a striping machine having means to move a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit mounted on the machine for rotation about said axis and comprising an ink pocket therein spaced vfrom the axis to be supplied with ink for a striping operation, striping means extending into the pocket to be inked to produce a stripe on the Wire, a hollow ink receiver secured to and rotatable with the unit comprising an opening therein and communicating with the pocket so that ink in the receivercan flow into said pocket, stationary striping ink reservoir means comprising a part extending into said opening to deliver ink into said receiver, and driving means to rotate the unit about said axis, said driving means when rotating the unit causing ink in the pocket to remain spaced from the axis due to centrifugal force.

6. In a striping machine having means to move a Wire'to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit mounted for rotation on the machine about said axis and comprising a pocket therein spaced from the axis to be supplied with ink for a striping operation, striping meansextending into the pocket to be inked and effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripe on the wire, an ink receiver surrounding the axis secured to and rotatable with the unit above said pocket and comprising a continuous 12 opening therein around said axis, stationary striping ink reservoir means comprising a part extending through said opening into said receiver to deliver ink into the latter, the unit being formed with a passage therein down which ink can flow from the receiver into the Pocket, and driving means to rotate the unit about said'axis, said driving means when rotating the unit causing ink in the pocket to remain spaced from the axis due to'centrifugal force. I

'I. In a striping machine provided with means to move a Wire along the axis of the machine, a striping unit rotatable on the machine about said axis and comprising a pocket therein spaced from the axis to be supplied with ink for a striping operation, striping means extending into the pocket to be inked therein effective to produce a stripe on the wire during operation of the machine, an ink receiver secured to and rotating with the unit formed with a compartment communicating with said pocket so that ink in the. receiver can flow into said pocket, said receiver surrounding said axis and formed with a c-ontinuous opening therein opening toward said axis, stationary striping ink reservoir means comprising a part extending through said opening to deliver ink into said compartment, the unit being formed with an outlet passage for excess below the pocket leading from the latter ma direction away from the axis, and driving means to rotate the unit about said axis, said driving means when rotating the unit causing ink in the pocket to remain spaced from the axisand causing excess ink to pass from the pocket through said passage due to centrifugal force. l V

8. In a striping machine provided with means to move ,a wire along the axis of the machine,

a striping unit mounted for rotation therein about said axis and comprising a, plurality of inking pockets therein spaced from and arranged around said axis to be supplied with ink for a striping operation, an ink receiver for each pocket secured to and rotating with the unit, the unit comprising an ink passage for each receiver through which the ink from the latter can flow to the corresponding pocket, a stationary striping ink reservoir for each receiver comprising a part to deliver ink therefrom to the associated receiver, striping means on the unit for each pocket extending into the latter to be inked effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripe on the Wire, a separate control means for each reservoir to teen-'- late the flow of ink therefrom to the correspond:

ing receiver in accordance with the consumption,

of ink in the correspondin pocket by the associated striping means, and driving means to rotate the unit about said axis,'said drivingmeans when rotating the unit causing ink in the pockets to remain spaced from the axis due to centrifugal force.

9. In a striping machine having means to draw,

a wire along the axis thereof, a striping unit mounted on the machine to rotate about said axis and comprising a plurality of inking pockets therein arranged around said axis, a striping disk for each pocket effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripe on the wire, a carrier for each disk on which the latter is rotatably mounted holding the disk in peripheral rolling associated disk relative to the axis of said unit, a. pinion on and turning with each carrier, and a ring gear surrounding said unit meshing with said pinions and mounted on the unit for angular movement relative thereto around the axis thereof to rotate said pinions and carriers in unison to change the angle of the planes of all of said disks simultaneously relatively to said axis of the unit.

10. In a striping machine having means to draw a wire along the axis thereof, a striping unit mounted on the machine to rotate about said axis and comprising. a plurality of inking pockets therein arranged around said axis, a striping disk for each pocket effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripeon the wire, a carrier on the unit for each disk on which the latter is mounted for rotation holding the disk in rollin peripheral engagement with the Wire, means on the unit mounting each carrier for turning movement about an axis thereof transverse of the axis of the machine and passing through the point of engagement of the corresponding disk with the wire to change the angle of the plane of. the disk relative to the axis of the machine, an adjusting member surrounding the unit and mounted thereon for angular movement relative to the unit around the axis of the machine, and. operative connections between said adjusting member and all of said carriers causing the latter to turn in unison to efiect simultaneous changes in the angle of the planes of the disks relative to the axis of the machine when the adjusting member is moved angularly relative to said unit.

11. In a machine for striping wires of various diameters any one of which can extend along the axis of the machine, means for moving a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit mounted on the machine to rotate about said axis and comprising a plurality of inking pockets therein arranged around said axis, a plurality of striping disks, one in each pocket, each disk effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripe on the wire moving along said axis, a carrier mounting each disk for rotation thereon, means on the unit mounting each carrier for radial movement relative to said axis to locate the corresponding disk in peripheral engagement with the wire extending along the axis, a ring gear surrounding the unit and mounted thereon for angular movement relatively thereto around said axis, and positioning means for each carrier including a pinion rotatable on the carrier and effective when rotated to cause said radial movement of the carrier, said ring gear meshing with each pinion and when turned relatively to said unit, depending upon the direction of turning thereof, moving all of said carriers toward or from said axis to locate all the disks for peripheral engagement with the particular wire extending along said axis.

12. In a machine for striping wires of various diameters any one of which can extend along the axis of the machine, means for moving a wire to be striped along the axis of the machine, a striping unit mounted on the machine to rotate about said axis and comprising a plurality of inking pockets therein arranged around said axis, a pluralityof striping disks, one in each pocket, each disk effective during operation of the machine to produce a stripe on the wire moving along said axis, a carrier for each disk mounting the disk therefor for rotation thereon, means on the unit mounting each carrier for radial movement relative to said axis to locate the corresponding disk in peripheral engagement with the wire extending along the axis, an adjustor extending around said unit mounted thereon for relative angular movement therearound, and positioning means operatively interposed between each carrier and said adjustor effective when the latter is turned relatively to said unit, depending upon the direction of turning thereof, to move said carriers toward or from said axis to place all the disks for peripheral engagement with the wire extending along said axis.

13. A striping unit for a wire striping machine having bearing means to mount the unit for rotation about the axis thereof, said unit comprising a head formed with a wire receiving bore extending along the axis thereof and an inking pocket therein spaced iromsaid axis, a striping disk rotatably mounted on the head with a part of the periphery thereof adjacent to said axis and with the opposite part of said periphery in said pocket,- and an ink receiver secured to the head.- formed with anink compartment provided with an opening extending continuously around said axis, said head being formed with an ink passage therein connecting said pocket and receiver. I

14. In a striping machine including a rotatable striping unit comprising an inking pocket and effective when rotating and ink is in said pocket to produce a stripe on a wire moving along the axis of rotation of the unit, a stationary striping ink reservoir, a hollow ink receiver secured to and rotating with the unit comprising an opening extending continuously around said axis and communicating with said pocket to enable ink in said receiver to pass into said pocket, and feed means connected to the reservoir to feed ink from the reservoir through said opening into said receiver during rotation of said unit.

15. In a wire striping machine, a striping unit rotatable on the machine about an axis, means for moving a wire to be striped along said axis, driving means to rotate the unit around said axis, the unit comprising an inking chamber radiating from said axis and an inking pocket in the end of the chamber remote from said axis, a striping disk in said chamber, mounting means on the unit supporting the disk for rotation relative to the unit and revolution around said axis by the unit and positioning the disk so that a part thereof is in peripheral engagement with the wire to be rotated by the latter due to movement of the wire along said axis and another part thereof extends into said pocket, a stationary striping ink reservoir, a circular ink receiver surrounding said axis secured to said unit above said pocket formed with an annular opening therein opening toward said axis, the unit being provided with a passage leading from said circular ink receiver to said pocket through which ink can flow from said receiver into said pocket, and a stationary ink delivery tube connected to said reservoir and having an open end extending through said annular opening into said circular ink receiver, ink in the reservoir tending to flow through said tube and be delivered from the open end of the tube, ink flowing in said tube passing through said annular opening and being delivered into said circular ink receiver and flowing thence through said passage into said pocket and when in the pocket being kept spaced from said axis by centrifugal force due to rotation of the unit by said driving means to be taken up by the disk to produce a spiral stripe on the moving wire as the latter rotates the disk and the disk is revolved around the wire by said unit.

16. In a wire striping machine operating with a stationary striping ink reservoir, a rotatable 15 striping unit comprising an inking pocket therein spaced from the axis of the unit, driving means torotate said unit about theaxis thereof, means for moving a wire to be striped along said axis, a striping disk rotatably mounted on the unit and revolved about said axis by said unit when the latter is rotated by said driving means with a part Of the periphery of said diskin rolling engagement with the moving wire and with the opposite part of said periphery extending into said pocket, a part of. said pocket being under said disk nearer said axis than is said opposite part of the periphcry of the disk, means on said unit providing an ink outlet passage communicating with said part of the pocket and extending away from said axis, feed means having an outlet endto deliver ink from said reservoir, an ink receiver secured to and, rotating with said unit above said pocket comnrisinga compartment formed with an annu- 1a! opening into which said outlet end of the feed means extends to deliver ink from the reservoir into said compartment, and said unit comprisin an ink inlet passage connecting said compartment with said pocket, ink in said pocket being held 16 spaced from said axis when the unit is rotated by said driving means due to centrifugal force to be taken up by the disk to produce a spiral stripe on the moving wire as the latter rotates the disk and, the. disk is revolved around the Wire by said unit, and excess ink in the pocket flowing out through said outlet passage.

ROBERT A. DONNAN.

REFERENCES CITED I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,631,680 Hall et al. June 7, 1927 2,126,810 Pugh Aug. 16, 1938 2,344,610 Hargreaves et al. a--- Mar. 21, 1944 2,370,314 Jenner Feb. 27, 1945 2,441,327 Norris May 11, 1948 I FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 681,748 Germany Sept. 30, 1939 

